This invention relates to a receptacle or case, of the type that may be used to hold tiers of eggs with the eggs lodged in flats or trays.
In the past, a common method of incubating eggs has comprised placing the eggs in trays and loading the incubator with these trays, tray at a time. With hatching of the eggs, the incubator is unloaded, again tray at a time. With a large incubator holding a considerable number of trays, obviously loading and unloading an incubator in this manner is time consumming, and requires considerable manhandling of the eggs.
It has been conventional practice in preparing eggs for incubation to gather the eggs where they are laid and place these in paper flats. Such are subsequently loaded into trucks and transported to the hatchery where they are unloaded and stored. Then the eggs are removed from the paper flats and retrayed in dipping flats, after which the flats are loaded into dipping baskets and the eggs are dipped to disinfect them, etc. The eggs are then placed in incubator trays prior to loading the incubator with the eggs. As can be seen from the operations just summarized, the practice has required several retraying or repackaging of the eggs, again a time consumming process.
The subject of the present invention is a case constructed to enable the stacking within it of multiple tiers of eggs with such eggs packed within trays. With the case loaded with trays, the trays are held immovably within the case. Thus, the case can be used in loading, in one operation, multiple tiers of eggs into an incubator, through the expedient of loading a loaded case into the incubator. Further, if desired, the case may be utilized in the transporting of eggs from the point where the eggs are laid to the hatchery. The case has a construction which permits the free circulation of fluid therethrough, either air or liquid. As a consequence, the case may be left in the incubator during the incubation period, and may be used in the holding of multiple tiers of eggs while they are subjected to a dipping process. In fact, it is contemplated that by using the case of the invention, and with the proper selection of trays for holding the eggs, eggs may be arranged in the trays and the trays packaged in the case at the place where the eggs are laid, and the eggs left as so containerized throughout the time that they are shipped to the hatchery, stored, dipped and subjected to incubation.
A general object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a case for holding tiers of eggs housed in trays, with the trays securely held from movement when housed within the case.
Another object is to provide such a case which is constructed in such a manner as to facilitate the loading and unloading of trays into and from the case. Toward these ends, the case features what is referred to herein as a sideless construction, permitting unimpaired movement of trays into the case from the top and through the sides of the case.
The case of the invention features a perforate or skeletal construction for a floor and end walls present in the case, as well as a cover which closes off the top, this feature together with the open side walls promoting free circulation of air or other fluids such as dipping liquid throughout the interior of the case in the event the case is used for dipping or incubating the eggs.
Yet another feature and object of the invention is to provide such a case which is provided with seating means for seating the bottoms of egg trays deposited therein, with such seating means elevated from the bottom surface of the floor in the case. A similar seating means is provided in the cover for seating the tops of trays held within the case.
Yet a further object is to provide a case suitable for holding tiers of eggs which is stackable on another like case with the two cases then being locked together, which facilitates the making of tiers of cases, as may be required, for instance, in the loading of a truck for transport.
These and other objects and advantages are attained by the invention, as will become more fully apparent from a reading of the following description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: